Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino - Where Old Vegas and Luxury Collide

Las Vegas is hardly recognizable anymore. The noisy, smoky, somewhat seedy but lovable casinos have been turned into mega-entertainment centers with upscale shopping and quiet, sedate slot machines.

While this side of Vegas has its place and can be attractive, for those who enjoy the real feel of "old" Vegas, head on over to Fremont Street and the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.

We enjoy the feel of old Vegas. But last time we stayed on Fremont Street our hotel was a little spooky to walk to and the cigarette smoke smell was so strong in the room that we could hardly stand it. So I was a little leery when we booked a room at the Golden Nugget on Fremont Street.

Everything I read said that the Nugget had just completed a total remodel and was a first-class place to stay. So off we went.

We were very pleasantly surprised and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The lobby was gorgeous, the check-in was quick and easy, and best of all our room was great. There was no cigarette smoke smell, all the furnishings were new and attractive, the bathroom was large and well-lighted, and very importantly, everything was sparkling clean.

But the good surprises didn't stop there. We had glanced at the pool and noticed that it looked nice on the way up to our room. But not until that evening when we walked right up to the edge of the pool did we realize how amazing it really was. In the center is a giant enclosed fish tank that you can swim right up to. In the tank is a variety of tropical fish and some very large sharks. They are mesmerizing to watch. An enclosed slide runs right through the center of the tank, which looks like a lot of fun for youngsters, although we didn't try it.

The pool also features a shallow "beach" area where you can relax on lounge chairs floating on about 12 inches of water.

There is a bar right next to the pool, if you like to relax poolside with a drink. The changing rooms and bathrooms next to the pool are clean, beautifully decorated and well-kept.

All of the luxury hasn't changed the casino part of the hotel however. We were not disappointed and found that as soon as we stepped from the hotel we had the feeling of old Vegas. Which is exactly what we went there for.

We plan on staying at the Nugget again and highly recommend it to anyone who likes to stay in a nice place, but also craves the feeling of old Vegas.